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DETROIT - A 4-year-old boy has died after being mauled by four pit bulls.

The child was walking on the sidewalk with his mother to school when the dogs attacked near a home on Bayliss and the Lodge freeway service drive.

The boy was rushed by police to the hospital but did not survive surgery after being mauled by a family of pit bulls - four in total. The dogs reached under the fence and grabbed the boy.

"When I saw them carrying her baby, All I can do is grab my baby and say 'Oh my God' because he is lifeless," said neighbor Yolanda Samuels. "The lady was screaming 'My baby, somebody help my baby,'" said Samuels who called 911. "They had to shoot at the dogs to literally get the dogs off the baby."

The child suffered bites to stomach and was taken in critical condition, before dying.

Three dogs were shot and killed a fourth was taken by police, while the owner is cooperating with investigators.

"They get out on a regular basis," Samuels said. "The kids meet up with other football kids and go to school and they were telling how often the dogs get out."

"I know this is Detroit, (but) you got to know kids walk by," said Latoya Samuels.

FOX 2 asked Chief James Craig if more could have been done to secure the dogs.

"Absolutely," Craig said. "I'm guessing if those dogs could get out ... and that's going to come out in the investigation."

When police complete the investigation they plan on turning over the findings to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office to determine charges.